New LGBTQ+ legislation is welcome, but not enough, says Dr Amanda Cohn
Image: Dr Amanda Cohn in NSW Legislative Council chambers. Image: Supplied
by GRACE JOHNSON
On Wednesday, the Attorney General tabled long-awaited legislation to ban harmful LGBTQ+ conversion practices.
The changes are “overdue” and “welcome”, says Dr Amanda Cohn, NSW Greens spokesperson for LGBTQIA+, but much more needs to be done.
“This is the result of the hard work of victim survivors of conversion practices over many years … and which drags NSW to the minimum standard in other jurisdictions,” she said to Parliament on Thursday.
NSW still has the worst laws in the country for LGBTQ+ people, despite the new legislation, she said.
“As one example, NSW is the only jurisdiction that forces people to have invasive and medically unnecessary genital surgery to change their gender on official documents,” she said.
“The NSW Anti-Discrimination Act protects trans men and women but it does not protect non-binary people. It protects homosexuality but it does not protect people who are bisexual like me, or people who are asexual.”
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The Anti-Discrimination Act is now under review, but many changes could be made in the meantime, said Dr Cohn.
Accordingly, the government passed amendments on religious vilification while the process was still underway.
At the time, Lydia Shelly, President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties (NSWCCL), told City Hub that the amendments were a “missed opportunity” as they did not include additional protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Everyone should be afforded protection from any kind of vilification, she said.
“Where is the same sense of urgency and priority for LGBTQIA+ people?” asked Dr Cohn.
“Labor waiting 12 months to deliver their key election promise to ban conversion practices has had real consequences,” she continued.
Jenny Leong MP shared in the call for more action, saying “The NSW Labor Government must also adopt the recommendations of the Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes, prioritise reforming the Anti-Discrimination Act and pass the Equality Bill to ensure equality without exceptions for every person in NSW.”
